Biden group launches TikTok account to boost the president’s agenda

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The Biden-affiliated nonprofit group Building Back Together plans to launch its own TikTok account on Wednesday as part of the group's latest effort to engage young people with the president's agenda.

The group plans to create content inspired by TikTok trends and features, like the green screen function, to explain President Joe Biden's agenda to the platform's predominantly younger user base. The staff of the organization will frequently appear on the account.

We are building off that work with the goal of reaching the large and growing user base of this platform, including young people who disproportionately use TikTok.

Climate and social safety net provisions were left in limbo after Biden's initial build back better proposal stopped late last year. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said this week that Democrats would continue their push to pass an economic agenda. The package's passage would depend on Sen. Joe Manchin, who has opposed some elements of the package.

Despite concerns over the app's Chinese parent company, the Biden White House embraced TikTok as an outreach tool. The Washington Post reported last month that the White House was talking to the creators of TikTok about the war in Ukraine. The White House's strategic goals in the region following Russia's invasion were detailed by the Biden administration during the March briefing.

Rob Flaherty, White House director of digital strategy, told The Post last month that this is a critically important avenue in the way the American public is finding out about the latest.

One of the groups dedicated to Biden's legislative agenda is Building Back Together, which includes bills like the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The group ran a $10 million television and digital ad campaign to support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Building Back Together frequently posts news clips and Infographics on their social media accounts. The group used data from the Economic Policy Institute to claim that Biden's economic plans would help Americans pay for services like health and child care.

Our TikTok videos will use features unique to the platform, whether that's taking advantage of trending sounds / dances or using options like the green screen feature to do informational videos about different aspects of the President.